Giants trade Jonathan Sanchez to Kansas City for OF Melky Cabrera

Bob Dutton, who covers the Royals for the Kansas City Star, tweeted this morning that the Giants have acquired outfielder Melky Cabrera from Kansas City for pitcher Jonathan Sanchez. That report has since been confirmed by both teams.

The Giants have traded a pitcher with one year left before free agency for a hitter who also has one year left before free agency and is 27 years old. How this would affect the Carlos Beltran pursuit, I don’t know.

The onetime Yankee, from the Dominican Republic, is a switch-hitter. You can see from his stats here that he’s coming off a very good season, largely hitting second in the lineup.

Cabrera hit .305 and 18 homers last year, playing in a park that does not favor hitters.